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The Geological Society offers grades of membership for every stage of your career, from student to retirement. Find out about the benefits of membership, and how we can help you achieve and maintain Chartered status.

Information about the Geological Society’s internationally acclaimed books and journals for authors, editors, librarians and readers. Order publications, find out about the Lyell Collection and read guidelines for preparing a paper or submitting a book proposal.

Information and resources for teachers and students from
primary education onwards; for those making careers choices
after A-levels including undergraduate and further degrees
at university; and for those seeking professional
geosciences training or exploring lifelong learning
opportunities.

News and updates for the press, policy makers and members of the public interested in how the geosciences
interact with society. Find updates about policy related meetings, consultation responses, position statements and
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Geoscientist is the Fellowship magazine of the Geological Society: with news about science, people, the Society, features, reviews, opinion, letters and forthcoming events. All this, and more, can be found sooner here, in our online version.

The Geological Society of London is the UK national society for geoscience, providing support to over 11,500 members in the UK and overseas. Founded in 1807, we are the oldest geological society in the world.

Society Awards

Medals and Funds

The Geological Society of London has been making awards since 1831, when its senior medal, the Wollaston, was first awarded to William Smith. Our medals and funds are for significant research contributions to science OR contributions to applied and economic geology OR eminent contributions to any branch of geology OR distinction in the practice of geology. The full criteria are in regulation R/G/14

The Wollaston Medal is the highest award of the Geological Society. This medal is given to geoscientists who have had a significant influence by means of a substantial body of excellent research in either or both 'pure' and 'applied' aspects of the science.

It was established by William Hyde Wollaston (1766 - 1828), an eminent figure in British science credited with discoveries across the natural sciences, to promote ‘researches concerning the mineral structure of the Earth’ …‘or of the science of Geology in general’ and to enable the Council of the Geological Society to reward ‘the researches of any individual or individuals, of any country, saving only that no member of the Council … shall be entitled to receive or partake of such aid or reward’.

The first recipient of the Wollaston Medal was William Smith in 1831. The Wollaston medal will be awarded annually or at such other intervals as Council may determine.

The Lyell Medal is normally given for contributions to ‘soft’ rock studies. It was established under the will and codicil of Sir Charles Lyell (1797 – 1875), the author of Principles of Geology, which popularised the idea of uniformitarianism.

The Murchison Medal is normally given for contributions to ‘hard' rock studies. It was established under the will of Sir Roderick Impey Murchison (1792-1871), the Scottish geologist who first described the Silurian and Devonian successions in Britain, among other achievements, in a long and distinguished career.

The William Smith Medal is awarded for contributions to applied or economic aspects of geoscience. It is named after the ‘Father of English Geology’, William Smith (1769 - 1839), maker of the first geological map of Britain and arguably the pioneer of applied geology.

Candidates must have made significant contributions, which will normally be published papers and verifiable achievements in the application of geoscience, although in view of the confidential nature of the work in the case of some candidates, other criteria may be used as the basis of the award.

This Medal will be awarded to persons ‘who shall have done well for the advancement of the science of geology’. It was established under the will of Sir Joseph Prestwich (1812 - 1896); however, the bequest was not payable until after the death of Lady Prestwich in 1899.

This award is for distinguished contributions to History of Geoscience. Established in 1987 by Gerald Friedman (1921 - 2011) and the Northeastern Science Foundation of Troy, New York (an organisation he founded), it is dedicated to his wife Sue Tyler Friedman in acknowledgement of her contributions to History of Geoscience.

The Medal, which is not confined to those with a geoscience background or to Fellows of the Society, will be awarded to an individual of any nationality.

This Medal will be awarded to a geologist who has made substantial and significant contributions to geology through sustained field mapping and/or field observation of rocks, and who has a strong record of training, leading and encouraging others to practise and pursue advances in geology by this means.

Established by a donation from Professor John F Dewey FRS and first awarded in 2018.

These Awards will be made to geoscientists for their contributions to science, as is the case with the Lyell, Murchison and William Smith Medals, in addition to significant service to geoscience, for example through administrative, organisational or promotional activities resulting in benefits to the community.

The awards may be made to scientists whose training and interests are outside the main fields of geoscience, but whose contributions are of great significance to our science. These two medals are named in honour of Lieutenant Colonel Basil Elmsley Coke’s (1884 - 1970) cousin’s two sons, who both died at the Battle of Arnhem in 1944. John Coke was captured by German forces, then shot while attempting to escape, and his brother Edward was killed shortly afterwards while leading part of the British relief force.

In 1965, Lieutenant Colonel Coke, who was a Fellow of the Society, established an endowment fund for his daughter with the instruction that after her death the Geological Society was to become the beneficiary, which happened in 1982. This bequest led to the establishment of the two medals.

Some of the greatest achievements in the geosciences are made possible by individuals who give distinguished service in a range of activities and disciplines. Established in 1998, this award recognises an individual who has made significant contributions to geoscience and the geoscience community by virtue of their professional, administrative, organisational or promotional activities..

These Funds are awarded to early career geoscientists who have made excellent contributions to geoscience research and its application, in the UK and internationally. Recipients must be within ten years (full time equivalent) of the award of their first degree in geoscience or a cognate subject.

The individual Funds are given for contributions in the fields defined by the Society’s Medals of the same name. The Funds are each accompanied by the award of £500.

Two President's Awards are conferred upon early career geoscientists who are within five years (full time equivalent)* of the award of their first degree in geoscience or a cognate subject, who show significant early promise and are judged to have potential to be future leaders in their fields.

These Awards were instituted in 1980 by Professor Perce Allen and the Awards are made annually at the discretion of the incumbent President. The President’s Awards have a value of £250 each.